Fields of Innocence
by Sakura02
Summary: A soon-to-be collection of short stories surrounding the Kiryuu boys. Including: Ichiru is sick, Zero wants to get married, and Toga invests in babysitting. No pairings, only cutesy brotherly-love.
1. In Sickness and In Health

**I love Zero and Ichiru; however, I find that I like them completely different than how Hino Matsuri-sensei probably intended me to like them. I'm a sucker for the brotherly-love, especially when the twins were very young (not like most of the flashbacks used in the manga and anime).**

**This story takes place pre-series, when the boys are about 5-years-old or so. Back when they were both cute and cuddly, and Ichiru didn't want to get into his brother's pants.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. If I did, Yuuki and Kaname wouldn't exist.**

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><p>Since before they were born, the Kiryuu twins had shared everything. And a little cold was no exception.<p>

Ichiru had been feverish all day. The boys' mother said that he was too sick to play with Zero, too weak to do anything but stay in bed. Zero had no choice but to play by himself in his room.

After about an hour, he pushed his blocks aside and stood. Something wasn't right—he could feel it. But the house remained silent as though nothing was wrong.

A flurry of activity and sound hit him when he left his room and entered the hallway. Ichiru's door was jarred open and inside Zero could hear him coughing violently. He sounded almost dry retching.

Edging closer so that he was just outside the doorway, Zero looked into Ichiru's darkened room with mild curiosity. Their mother sat beside Ichiru in bed, patting gently at his back, while coaxing him into taking small sips of water from a glass she held before him.

By the time he was calm again, Ichiru looked exhausted. Zero wondered how that was possible since he had been sleeping all day. His pale cheeks were dusted lightly with pink and his face and neck were covered in sheens of sweat. His eyelids drooped just with the strain of sitting up, and he leaned back until he was resting heavily against their mother's arms.

"Zero?"

Zero met his mother's gaze. She had spotted him at the doorway. Gingerly tucking Ichiru back into bed and leaving the water on the bedside table, she came into the hallway and took Zero's hand.

Just before she could shut the door, Ichiru lifted his head just enough to peek over the covers. He and Zero locked eyes for a moment, Zero giving his brother the faintest of smiles. Ichiru returned the sentiment, but just barely. He really was tired.

"We'll be leaving on a hunting assignment, your father and I," his mother said as she guided him back to his room. "We shouldn't be gone as long as the last time, but I've made arrangements to keep you both safe in the meantime."

Zero nodded, squeezing his mother's hand.

"Watch after your brother while we're gone, all right?"

Another nod, and this time she pulled him close and kissed his forehead.

oOo

It was several more hours before his parents left. They spent most of that time checking notes and exchanging information about the vampire they would be tracking. They always left at sunset, that way they were guaranteed a vampire appearance.

The first thing Zero did when they left was check on Ichiru. He was a dutiful son and was going to do his mother proud by nursing his brother back to health by the time they got back.

In many ways, Ichiru's room was like his own: small, dark, and littered with toys. Ichiru's room was also musty and smelled heavily of sickness. The effect was smothering when Zero first entered, so he left the door open to circulate some air through the small space.

Ichiru was sound asleep, curled on his side and sniffling.

Zero crept towards him and patted his shoulder. Ichiru slowly opened his eyes, blinking away Zero's blurry figure until he was a little clearer. He squinted through the darkness.

"Zero-nii?" Ichiru whispered groggily.

"Mommy and Daddy went on another mission," Zero said. "I'm going to take care of you until they get back."

Ichiru made a small noise of acknowledgement. "I'm cold, Zero-nii."

"Do you want another blanket?"

Ichiru shook his head, leaving Zero stumped. If Ichiru didn't want a blanket, what else could he do to keep him warm? An idea struck him and he scrambled to the other side of the bed, leaving Ichiru to turn around and face him.

"Scoot over," Zero said, sliding into the bed beside him.

"No," Ichiru protested weakly, coughing. "Then Zero-nii will get sick too."

Zero gently nudged his brother until he complied. Reaching over him, Zero grabbed the glass of water and shoved it under Ichiru's nose.

"Drink."

Ichiru took the glass and downed the rest of the water greedily. "Thank you," he rasped.

Zero shimmied under the covers beside Ichiru and waited only a few moments until Ichiru's breathing evened out as he went back to sleep. Zero yawned and fell in right behind his brother.

oOo

When Zero woke up he found himself shivering. He tugged earnestly at the sheets, realizing that Ichiru had already taken most of them for himself. He wrapped his arms around himself and continued to shake until...

Ichiru!

The heat rolled off him like a furnace, his body still burning with fever. Zero inched closer until the two were practically touching, feeling as the warmth began to reach him. He was so cold, and Ichiru was hogging all the warmth up for himself.

"...ro-nii," Ichiru mumbled, his face twisting in discomfort. "Too hot..."

Ichiru then promptly sneezed in Zero's face.

Startled, Zero yelped and toppled off the bed. Ichiru pulled himself forward and peered onto the floor, confusion showing in his fever bright eyes.

"Y-Y-You...," Zero sputtered, pointing up at Ichiru.

It was then that he became aware of how dry and scratchy his throat was. He peeled himself off the floor and stomped back to his room, where he ripped the sheet off his bed and wrapped it around himself like a cape.

He returned to Ichiru's room and swiped the glass from the table, his brother watching him with heavy-lidded eyes. He left the room and headed for the kitchen, tripping only twice on the train of his sheet.

Standing on tiptoe, he placed the glass on the kitchen counter and paused. He could barely reach the counter, and the sink was at least another six inches back. If he got a chair, there was still a chance that his short arms wouldn't reach the faucet.

He was going to need some help.

Very quietly, Zero made his way back to Ichiru's room. He placed his hands on the edge of the bed and called out just loud enough to be heard.

"Ichiru. Ichiru." He spoke a little louder. "Ichiru, wake up."

Slowly, very slowly, Ichiru opened his eyes.

"I need your help," Zero said.

"With what?"

"I'm thirsty."

"Get it yourself," Ichiru sighed, his eyes sliding shut.

Zero pushed down slightly on the mattress, just enough to get Ichiru to look at him again. "I can't reach," he said once he had his brother's attention. "The sink's too high."

Groaning with every muscle he used to move, Ichiru slipped out from under the covers and clumsily made his way to stand by Zero. Zero took a moment to steady him, before pulling Ichiru under his blanket with him.

"You're really warm," Zero said, enveloped by every bit of Ichiru's body heat.

Ichiru just coughed in response.

oOo

Together they inspected the height of the counter in relation to the distance of the sink. It was obvious Ichiru just wanted to go back to bed, but Zero had a tight hold on the blanket, cocooning them both inside.

"Give me a boost, Ichiru."

"Mommy and Daddy will get mad if you climb on the counter."

"Mommy and Daddy aren't here," Zero said pointedly.

Ichiru sighed and knelt down, cupping his hands together. Zero stood on Ichiru's outstretched hands, using them to leap towards the counter.

He struggled for a few seconds, scrambling to pull his leg over the side of the counter, but he was having a hard time maintaining a grip on the slippery tile. Once, he almost kicked Ichiru in the face with his other foot.

"You're heavy!" Ichiru exclaimed, teetering some under Zero's weight.

"Let me stand on your shoulders. I'll have a better grip that way."

Without waiting for a reply, Zero maneuvered so that he was sitting squarely on Ichiru's shoulders. He ignored his brother's grunts of disapproval and directed him closer to the counter.

But Ichiru was having a difficult time supporting Zero with his sickness-laden body. He staggered sideways and almost dropped Zero completely. Finally, Zero heaved himself onto the counter by standing on Ichiru's shoulders and using the long silver faucet to pull himself up.

"Zero-nii, I want to go back to bed," Ichiru said pleadingly.

"You've been sleeping all day."

"But I'm still tired, and I don't feel good!"

Ichiru then threw himself on the floor and cried.

Zero scooted closer to the edge of the counter and leaned over to pat Ichiru's head. His hair was damp with sweat and his body trembled with quiet sobs and coughs. He tilted his head back to look up and sneezed, thick green mucus now coating his fingers. His eyes welled up with fresh tears and he began to cry harder.

"Ichiru, don't be sad," Zero said. "We can go back in a little while."

He received no reply, except for the sound of continued sobbing. He grabbed his glass and crawled over to the edge of the sink. By now his throat hurt more than ever, and he eagerly waited to fill the glass after turning on the tap.

He drank one glass and then another, relishing the cool drink as it slid down his throat. He grabbed a paper towel off the roller and used it to wipe his face and hands. If his throat hurt this much when he wasn't sick, then Ichiru's must be on fire.

"Ichiru, are you thirsty?" he asked. "Ichiru?"

Zero jumped down from the counter, landing nimbly beside Ichiru, who now lay curled up on the floor, dozing. Zero managed to rouse him just enough to half-walk, half-drag him back to bed.

Ichiru was snoring before his head even touched the pillow. Zero felt a little guilty for bothering him; the dark smudges beneath his eyes were a little more pronounced, his breathing much more labored. Zero tucked the sheets around his brother and fell into his own restless sleep.

oOo

Zero woke again to the feeling of a hand being pressed against his forehead. He shuddered at the touch, and without opening his eyes, realized he was covered in warm, sticky sweat.

"Oh, Zero, did you get sick too?"

The sound of coughing came next. "Zero-nii took care of me last night."

"I know, and it looks like he may have caught your cold. How are you feeling, Ichiru?"

More coughing. "Okay. Is Zero-nii going to be okay too?"

Zero could tell their mother was smiling by the tone of her voice.

"I think so; he just needs plenty of rest today." Zero felt himself being shaken. "Zero."

He stirred, finding opening his eyes difficult and tiresome. From the dim light seeping in through the curtains, he could see that it was already morning.

It was then that he became aware of everything that hurt him. There was a dull thumping pain behind his eyes that left his stomach churning. His muscles were heavy and achy, and his throat hurt so badly that swallowing was like torture.

He made a feeble noise of protest and shut his eyes.

"Good morning, my brave boy," his mother said gently. "How do you feel?"

He shuddered again as she ran her fingers through his sweat-soaked hair, peeling his bangs off his forehead. He answered her with a few quiet coughs.

"Poor Zero. I'm sorry you got sick too."

"Ne ne, Zero-nii, thank you for taking care of me!"

Zero opened his eyes and looked at Ichiru. He had some more color in his face, but his cheeks still had that same telltale flush of fever. Ichiru grinned at Zero, who returned the smile weakly.

"You two are staying in bed today," their mother said getting off the bed. "I'll be back to check on you and see if you need anything. Ichiru, look after Zero for me, okay?"

Ichiru nodded vigorously.

Truthfully, Zero was glad for her absence. This must have been what Ichiru felt like yesterday. He heaved a small sigh and watched as Ichiru snuggled back under the blankets.

Zero started some when he felt warm lips being pressed against his fevered skin. He relaxed when he realized it was Ichiru placing a kiss on his cheek.

"Goodnight, Zero-nii. Get better soon so we can go outside and finish our snow fort!"

Zero smiled at that. "Okay. You get better too, Ichiru."


	2. I Can Hear The Bells

**This is the second story in the Fields of Innocence collection. So, these stories will all be unrelated, although they may seem to follow some sort of plotline. Just remember: they don't. :)**

**Also, a very happy birthday to my best bud, Mei-chan4, whose birthday was yesterday.**

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><p>"Let's get married."<p>

Ichiru's smile was one of bewilderment, and it was several seconds before he could speak. "What are you talking about?"

"Mommy said she married Daddy because she loves him."

"Oh," Ichiru said. "I love you too, Zero-nii!"

The boys knew their parents were celebrating their anniversary soon, and during some very brief downtime, Zero had found the courage to ask their mother about marriage. It was a topic he had always been secretly fascinated with.

Of course, there were little secrets between the twins, and Ichiru had always known of his brother's interest in the subject. However, Ichiru never talked about it because he hated marriage. His parent's marriage was one thing, but if Zero where to get married, then Ichiru would be left alone. Or vice versa.

The twins had been together so long that Ichiru didn't know how to be separated from Zero.

"Aren't two people that love each other supposed to get married?" Zero asked.

Smiling, Ichiru shook his head, placing his hand on Zero's shoulder. "You love Mommy and Daddy, right? But you can't marry them, and you can't marry me because you're my brother."

"So..."

"You can't marry your family, Zero-nii," Ichiru said.

Zero frowned and resumed kicking piles of snow with his boots. He seemed very focused, his face screwed up in concentration.

"Come on, let's go inside and finish Mommy and Daddy's present."

Once inside, Ichiru pulled out a piece of orange construction paper, while Zero left for the kitchen to get the macaroni. They planned on gluing pieces of macaroni into a giant heart, with hand drawn pictures of them in the center.

"Ichiru, help me carry this," Zero said stumbling into the room carrying a large glass jar.

Together, they set the jar of macaroni on the floor, grabbing two handfuls each and putting them beside the piece of construction paper. They took individual bits and shells and began to glue them one at a time onto the paper.

oOo

After dinner, Ichiru scrambled down the hallway, returning with a bright orange paper hidden conspicuously behind his back. His broad smile grew as he eyed Zero, who covered his mouth to stifle his giggling.

"What have you got there, Ichiru?" their father asked.

"Zero-nii and I made a picture for you and Mommy," Ichiru said.

He handed over the picture and stood beside Zero's chair, bouncing excitedly from foot to foot. He was eager to hear their praise of his and Zero's artwork.

"Who's this?" their father asked after a moment.

Ichiru's smile faltered, while Zero's only grew wider. Ichiru wondered how their father could ask that—the identities of the four people should have been obvious. He and Zero had been extra careful in drawing their family's likenesses. He had thought the picture was perfect.

"It's Yuuki-chan!" Zero said.

There was another moment's silence, before their mother burst out laughing. "Cross Yuuki; she's Kaien's daughter. Is that who you mean, Zero?" At Ichiru's and her husband's perplexed stares and Zero's affirmative nod, she continued. "Kaien just adopted Yuuki from a friend of his, and we saw the two of them in town the other day. Ichiru, you were there too, but I had just woken you from your nap, so that's why you may not remember."

Puzzled, Ichiru meandered to his mother's side and peered at the picture she held in her hands. It was the same macaroni heart that he and Zero had made, that they had planned days earlier. At the heart's center were the drawings of their parents, lovingly holding hands. Beside them was Ichiru, and beside him Zero.

But there, standing beside his brother, on the very edge of the paper, was a drawing of a girl. A brunette. She stood outside their pasta heart, but just the fact that she was there. _Smiling._ Invading his family portrait.

It was enough to make Ichiru scream...

...And he did.

Standing on tiptoe, he snatched the picture from his mother, the possibility of later repercussions completely escaping him. His hands clumsy with rage, he ripped at the picture, separating the image of the girl completely from the rest of the work. He concluded with throwing the constructed heart on the floor, dislodging macaroni and sending it skittering across the wood.

He then stormed from the kitchen, leaving a stunned and heavy silence in his wake.

oOo

Ichiru sat alone in his room, his back pressed against the side of his mattress, his knees tucked firmly against his chest. He once sat among a pile of toys, but now they sat in a heap across from him, no match for Ichiru's temper, flung angrily against the opposite wall.

He noticed when his door opened, heard the creak of hinges, saw as a beacon of light shone in from the hallway. There were small, somewhat hesitant footsteps making their way towards him, but Ichiru didn't dare move.

When Zero stopped beside his brother, he knew Ichiru would not meet his gaze. So, he set down across from him, among the nest of discarded toys, his legs folded neatly in his lap.

Ichiru could look nowhere else. Zero said nothing, but his eyes betrayed his emotions; he was on the very verge of tears, and that only made Ichiru feel worse.

He had screamed already, a tangled mess of emotions flooding him unexpectedly. Anger, hurt, confusion—his poor toys had already felt the brunt of his frustration. He couldn't promise that he wouldn't lash out at Zero too.

"Go away," Ichiru said, his voice cracking on the last word.

Wasn't that why he was upset: because the very thought of his only brother, his one best friend, might truly leave him. _Abandon_ him?

He shut his eyes as more silent tears left him. He hid his face in his knees, his body trembling with renewed sorrow. As if the bitter feeling of his selfishness wasn't already enough, he was ashamed at what had transpired earlier in the kitchen.

Zero reached out and hesitantly touched Ichiru's leg. Ichiru flinched.

"Are you mad at me?" Zero asked.

Ichiru hiccupped as he tried to compose himself.

"I don't want to marry her."

Ichiru looked up, his eyes swimming with tears. He swallowed several times before he was finally able to speak. "You don't?"

Zero shook his head. "I don't love her. Girls are icky."

"But our picture...," Ichiru said mopping at his eyes.

A very noticeable blush crawled up Zero's face, turning even his ears scarlet. His expression was enough to split Ichiru's face; he couldn't help but grin.

Zero composed himself quickly and turned back to his brother frantically. "I'm sorry, Ichiru! I was doodling on a paper I found on my room—it was covered by my pillow, a-a-and... I didn't mean to ruin our present."

Confused, Ichiru just stared at him. Finally, he said, "You knew exactly what Daddy meant when he asked you about it."

Zero looked down at his toes, which had become a lot more interesting than meeting Ichiru's accusing gaze. "I...I didn't want to make it look like an accident."

Ichiru laughed. "But it was an accident, Zero-nii."

He knew what his brother meant though. For Zero to admit his mistake would show his carelessness for the gift that he and Ichiru had worked on together. And the fact that Zero said he had discovered the paper under his pillow... Zero didn't want it to seem like their parents' anniversary wasn't important to him.

"I'm sorry too," Ichiru said. "I threw the picture and some of the macaroni fell off."

Zero gasped and fished for something in his pocket, producing a small stick of glue. "We still have time to fix it before Mommy sweeps up the rest of the pieces!"

Ichiru gave a small smile and stood.

On their way back to the kitchen, Ichiru stopped and faced Zero, his expression serious.

"What's wrong?" Zero asked.

"If you think girls are icky, why were you drawing a picture of Yuuki-chan in the first place?"

Zero's mouth hung open and the redness reappeared on his ears. He opted for staying silent and answered Ichiru by throwing the glue stick at his head.


	3. Babysitters Anonymous

**So, I'm a little ashamed to admit that I went to a Backstreet Boys concert last month. I mean, I love them and everything, but the last time I saw them was about 12 years ago. That shows just how old I am...**

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><p>The doorbell rang.<p>

Zero lifted his head off the arm of the couch. He was bored and had been fighting off asleep for the past fifteen minutes. His and Ichiru's parents were getting ready to leave on another assignment, so Zero passed the time by sitting on the couch, watching his parents pack the necessary essentials.

His father opened the door and ushered a man inside. The man was young, at least a decade younger than his father, but nearly just as tall. He had curly blue-black hair, cropped just below his ears, with eyes so blue that Zero associated the color with ice or the sky.

The stranger greeted his father warmly, his father returning the welcome and treating him like a member of the family. They talked for a few minutes, too quietly to be discernible conversation, until the man suddenly turned in Zero's direction.

Zero didn't feel anything troubling when placed under the stranger's gaze, but something about him piqued Zero's interest, a connection to the man that he could not begin to fathom. He wished Ichiru was with him now; maybe the two of them could have figured it out.

Ichiru had developed a small fever during the night (a mild reaction from the immunization shots he and Zero had received during the day), and being too uncomfortable to sleep, he had taken an extended nap in the morning when his temperature had dropped some. For all Zero knew, Ichiru was still sleeping, but as he had yet to see his brother, Zero couldn't be completely certain.

As if on cue, Ichiru meandered into the sitting room from the hallway. He seemed to be feeling better, but his cheeks were still dusted lightly with pink, and he wore a light jacket over his pajamas, as though he was cold. He yawned and pulled himself on the couch beside Zero.

"Zero-nii," Ichiru started, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, "who's that?"

Zero shrugged and turned to his brother. "I was going to ask you."

oOo

Zero sat wedged between Ichiru and the stranger on the bench. The man, Yagari Toga, had been left in their parents' stead as the boys' designated babysitter. He was a young Vampire Hunter, too green to be sent on actual hunting assignments. Today, his assignment was to watch Zero and Ichiru through the night until their parents returned.

After several minutes of Ichiru reassuring Zero that he felt well enough to play and patiently waiting as Toga checked his temperature three times, Ichiru had finally been allowed to go out into the snow. Now Ichiru, dressed in a heavy jacket and a scarf to protect him from getting chilled and to help Toga distinguish between him and Zero, grabbed his brother's mitten-covered hand and pulled him away from the bench.

"Zero-nii, Yagari-san is a Vampire Hunter, right?" Ichiru whispered once they were out of earshot of Toga.

"Uh huh."

"Then why isn't he hunting vampires with Mommy and Daddy?"

"Why don't you ask him?" Zero smiled as Ichiru shook his head fervently. "The Association probably doesn't think he's ready yet."

"You're wrong."

Startled, the boys spun around, Zero standing protectively in front of Ichiru. Toga had snuck up behind them, his boots silent in the powdery snow.

"What do you mean?" Zero asked relaxing some, but keeping Ichiru behind him.

Toga looked down at them, eyes narrowed. "You're cursed." Seeing their unchanged expression, he said, "It means you're bad, poisonous, unlucky. Hunter twins are rare; they usually don't survive to term. You're supposed to be dangerous, to vampires and to Hunters."

Zero and Ichiru weren't paying attention—Toga had lost them at the word "bad." They didn't understand anything else that Toga said to them, but the word "bad" had always had a negative connotation. Being bad meant receiving punishment, like losing privileges or favorite toys or being put in the timeout chair.

Ichiru had already burst into tears, his face hidden behind his hands. Zero patted his shoulder consolingly, but he wiped at his own eyes convulsively, stanching his own flow of tears with his mittens. Despite his sniffles, he managed a tiny glare, for himself and for Ichiru.

"Does that mean that the Hunters don't like us because we're cursed?" Zero asked. "They've never even met us, how can they—?"

Toga knelt down and placed his hands on each of the boys' shoulders. He squeezed Ichiru's shoulder reassuringly, as the boy had been overcome with renewed weeping at Zero's previous question.

"You're cursed or you're not," Toga said gently. "It doesn't matter to me. This is the first time I've ever met you and I think you're both great."

"But the Association doesn't?" Zero asked. He loved and idolized the Hunters Association; they were an elite group of vampire slayers, like his parents.

Toga shrugged. "I honesty couldn't tell you. Lately, my views have begun to differ slightly from theirs."

_Cursed_.

The word made Zero feel like he was a disease, a pathogen, a germ that nobody wanted to catch so nobody wanted to be around. He turned to Ichiru—his body was still racked and trembling with sobs. Zero didn't even know if Ichiru had heard Toga's explanation, and he eyed him warily.

Ichiru had always been a sensitive child, and he tended to tear up even when asked the simple task of picking up his dirty clothes. He had once gotten in trouble for setting a squirrel loose in their parents' bedroom, and due to the severe scolding he had received, the very idea of being labeled disobedient, troublesome, or _bad_ always had him melting into a puddle of tears. Now, he had been labeled as such by a stranger, leaving him nearly inconsolable.

"Are you going to tell the Association...?" Zero paused, seemed to rethink his choice in words and asked instead, "Are we in trouble?"

"Nope, not in my book." Deciding he needed to say more, Toga added, "The Association sent me here to test me, it honestly has nothing to do with you two being... Well, they have me performing a variety of odd jobs before I can qualify to be a Hunter."

oOo

It had taken another half hour to completely cease Ichiru's tears, but he sobered up eventually. He was left drowsy, red-faced, and puffy-eyed, and he was persuaded by Zero to help Toga complete his test for the Association.

They made a snowman together, Toga placing the snowy head atop the snowman's rotund midsection, while Zero and Ichiru collected sticks and stones to make a face and arms. Ichiru then removed his scarf and asked Toga to wrap it around the snowman's shoulders. When Toga sheepishly admitted that he could now no longer tell them apart, he ushered them inside for lunch.

Per Ichiru's adamant insistence, Toga was forced to lay a blanket on the floor, creating a mock picnic scene within the warm confines of the Kiryuu sitting room. Toga fixed them both peanut butter sandwiches and milk. Zero asked for banana slices to be added to his sandwich, a combination that left Toga feeling slightly nauseous. His qualm only worsened when Ichiru also asked for banana slices in his sandwich.

After lunch, in which Toga was coerced into answering if he wanted _one lump or two?_ when asking either of the boys to pass the sugar so that he could add some to his tea, Toga asked for the two boys to sit quietly while he cleaned up the kitchen and dusted bread crumbs from the blanket they had been sitting on. Ichiru quickly fell asleep, his head resting lightly on a couch cushion, his thumb rocking back and forth in his mouth.

"Don't you want to take a nap too?" Toga asked as Zero wandered into the kitchen and helped him sweep up crumbs from the tiled floor.

Zero shook his head. "I'm not tired."

There was an uneasy silence between them; the only sound that of Toga's broom sweeping across the floor. Toga was very conscious of Zero's mindful stare, taking inventory of every one of Toga's movements, no matter how minimal. He watched as Toga stooped to pick up the dustpan and dumped its contents into the trash.

Finally, Toga looked up. "Do you need something?"

"Do you think I'll be a good Hunter?" Zero asked.

He shrank a little when Toga didn't answer immediately. Toga shrugged. "Who knows? You're a little young to be worry about that."

Zero shook his head fervently. "No," he lowered his voice dramatically, "Ichiru can't become a Hunter. Mommy and Daddy don't think that either of us know, but I do, and I think Ichiru knows it too." Sensing Toga's unasked question, Zero added, "Ichiru isn't strong enough."

Toga smirked and ruffled Zero's hair. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell ringing. "Wait here."

Despite Toga's instructions, Zero followed him to the front door. On his way, he passed by Ichiru, who stirred some at the noise. He smacked his lips and resumed his nap.

Their parents were at the door. Seeing Ichiru asleep on the couch, they apologized for ringing the doorbell, admitting that they had forgotten their key when first leaving the house. Toga was paid for his services and received a certificate of completion that he could turn in to the Hunters Association. He waved to Zero from the doorway and made to step outside.

"You'll come back, right?" Zero called after him. "You'll play with me and Ichiru again?"

Toga chuckled. "Sure." He came back in and knelt in front of Zero, whispering so that only he could hear. "And just between the two of us, I think you'll make for an excellent Hunter."


	4. Father Christmas

**Sorry for the lack of updates recently. I've had a low motivation for writing recently. Anyway, this is the first of two planned Christmas-themed chapters. The second one will hopefully be up within the next couple of days.**

**Merry Christmas, y'all!**

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><p>Ichiru sighed and rolled over onto his back. Aside from Zero's soft snoring and the sound of his own breathing, the room was quiet. He tried listening for any sounds coming from down the hall, down the stairs, but the rest of the house seemed just as silent.<p>

However, he expected this, so he laid there and continued to wait. He had asked Zero to spend the night in his room for this special occasion, but he hadn't planned on Zero being the first one to give in to his need for sleep. Of course, Ichiru had yet to tell Zero his plan, or perhaps Zero might have stayed up with him.

Within seconds Ichiru was getting lulled to sleep by Zero's rhythmic breathing, but he had waited too long for this very night, so he willed himself awake.

And that's when he heard it.

Someone was downstairs, and they were making a great deal of ruckus by the sound of it. Ichiru flew out of bed and raced toward the bedroom door. He opened it and let the light filter in, before he remembered his brother.

"Nii-san! Nii-san!" he called quietly from the doorway. When Zero remained sleep, Ichiru crossed the room and grabbed his brother by the shoulder. "Zero-nii. Wake. Up."

Zero stirred under the pressure of Ichiru's incessant badgering. "What's going on?" he asked, not fully awake.

"He's here, Zero-nii! The fat man is here!" Ichiru rolled his eyes and threw his arms up in exasperation. "Santa Claus!"

Ichiru beamed at Zero's recognition of the name. He helped him out of bed and the two of them crept out of the room and down the stairs.

oOo

It was bright downstairs and the smell of gingerbread from the cookies they'd baked that evening still hung heavily in the air. Rainbow-colored lights illuminated a corner of their living room, the single reminder of the Christmas tree there. It was a Kiryuu tradition to leave the tree lights on Christmas Eve night into the following morning.

As much as Zero was the braver, more protective of the two brothers, Ichiru was determined to take the lead in uncovering the identity of the jolly old man in the red suit. He felt that, as the one who had come up with the plan, he should be the one to make the grand discovery.

There was talking coming from the other room. Two voices. Had Santa managed to squeeze a reindeer down the chimney? Or an elf? After taking another second to listen more closely, Ichiru realized that he recognized one of the two voices.

"Mommy?" Zero whispered, having come to the same conclusion.

Ichiru nodded. That was definitely their mother's voice coming from the next room. That must have meant that she was in cahoots with Santa. The partnership was odd, but not entirely unreasonable—how else would Santa have known to get everything Zero and Ichiru requested?

Together, the peered around the corner into the living room, towards the direction of the fireplace. Their mother was there, playfully leaning against the mantel, her gaze towards a part of the room hidden to the brothers from their current location.

Footsteps came from the kitchen, and their mother sighed, smiled, and giggled in that direction. She traipsed across the room, moving out of the boys' line of sight, so they crept closer and huddled behind the sofa. If it wasn't for the unmistakable "ho, ho, ho!" that sounded next, Ichiru might have just given up, suspecting that his mother and father were just playing some silly game together. Instead, they fell out from behind the couch, tumbling over each other in their haste to see Santa.

What Ichiru saw would scar him for at least a week.

Santa, the jolly old man in the red suit, the man who delivered presents each year by Christmas morning and was adored by children everywhere, was there in the living room. And he was kissing their mother.

"NO!"

With a ferocity and swiftness that would have made their Hunter parents proud, Ichiru and Zero flew towards the fat man, latching onto him and pummeling any part of him that they could reach. Santa, unprepared for such an attack, stumbled backwards until he was pressed against the Christmas tree, threatening to send the whole thing crashing to the ground.

And as Ichiru scrambled up the man's back in an attempt to gouge out his eyeballs, the tree did fall, sending ornaments flying everywhere and left Santa, Ichiru, and Zero in a tangled mess on the floor.

It was then that their mother reached for them, finally over the initial shock of what was happening before her. She lifted Zero without too much incidence, though he landed one more swift kick to Santa's ribs. But when she pulled at Ichiru's arms, he thrashed about frantically, spewing angry nonsense from his mouth, frustrated tears leaking from his eyes.

With some effort Zero helped his mother restrain Ichiru. Ichiru was breathing heavily, his face flushed with anger and the exertion that his body was not entirely accustomed to.

"You—I...You," Ichiru spluttered. "I hate you!"

Santa, now battered and bruised, sat up with a mighty groan. He picked ornament shards out of his suit and lifted his cap, which had slipped over his eyes during the struggle.

"Is this how you treat someone who brings you gifts?" he asked irritably.

A silence filled the room, until at last, Zero said, "Daddy?"

oOo

The following morning, Ichiru and Zero woke early and rushed downstairs to open their presents. In the living room, they were met with a familiar scene from the night before—a downed Christmas tree, ornaments splayed and shattered across the floor, and a neglected Santa hat lying among the disaster scene.

Their parents came down next, their father sporting a cut across his eyebrow and walking with an unmistakable limp, and together they gathered around the fireplace to exchange gifts. Ichiru shrunk a little at his father's presence, thoroughly ashamed of what had transpired only hours earlier. He had tried apologizing, but he was still embarrassed.

As it turned out, their father had dressed up not just to leave presents, but to participate in other extracurricular activities with his wife. Activities, of course, which were not mentioned to their two young sons.

"Don't worry about it," his father said, sitting on the floor beside Ichiru and ruffling his hair playfully. "The two of you were only trying to protect your mother from the big, bad Santa Claus. It was an easy mistake."

Ichiru and Zero burst into laughter and commenced unwrapping.


End file.
